Wedding Traditions: Origin of the Ring Finger?

Why do people wear wedding rings on their fourth finger, next to the pinky? Is there any historical significance behind this?

A:

The Western tradition of the "ring finger" began with the Romans, who believed that the fourth finger was connected directly to the heart by a vein called "the vein of love." For this reason, the fourth finger of the left hand has been adopted through the ages as the ideal place for the wedding ring.